Major clash over spam calls! Truecaller and TRAI at odds—how will this affect users?

TRAI vs. Truecaller: TRAI wants caller ID apps like Truecaller, Hiya, and Whoscall to stop flagging numbers from the 140 and 1600 series as spam.

TRAI vs. Truecaller: With spam calls rising rapidly in the country, TRAI has been exploring various measures to tackle the issue. Now, TRAI and Truecaller have locked horns over the regulation of spam calls. Truecaller had been flagging numerous calls—including legitimate banking calls—as spam. Another point of contention is whether caller ID apps should be permitted to warn users by labeling calls from the 140 and 1600 series as spam. Let’s look at how this might impact users.

What is the issue?

According to media reports, TRAI wants caller ID apps like Truecaller, Hiya, and Whoscall to stop marking numbers from the 140 and 1600 series as spam. TRAI believes that calls from these numbers originate from registered companies, banks, and other entities for marketing or service-related purposes; therefore, they should not be categorized as spam.

On the other hand, Truecaller maintains that if a large number of users repeatedly complain about or block a specific number, the app has every right to inform users about it.

What are TRAI’s rules?

According to available information, TRAI implemented a new system in 2024 designating specific number series for different types of business calls. The 140 series is used for promotional or telemarketing calls, while the 1600 series was designated for banking, OTP, transaction, and other service-related calls. Following this, TRAI has directed companies to use these special numbers instead of standard 10-digit mobile numbers, enabling users to easily identify that a call is coming from a registered entity.

Truecaller’s response to TRAI’s proposal

It is worth noting that Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala has criticized TRAI’s proposal. He states that the company helps protect millions of Indians from spam and fraudulent calls every day. If apps are prevented from issuing warnings to users, the impact will fall directly on the users; furthermore, fraudsters could exploit this system, potentially leading to an increase in fraud cases.

Impact on users

This dispute could directly affect millions of Indian mobile users. If caller ID apps are not permitted to display warnings, it will become difficult to distinguish whether a call is from a registered company or a fraudster. However, the government has yet to make a final decision on this matter.